Caitlin Clark Leads Fever to Record-Breaking Win Over Wings in Historic Matchup with Paige Bueckers
INDIANAPOLIS — In the long-awaited first professional matchup between No. 1 draft picks Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, it was Clark and the Indiana Fever who stole the spotlight in a commanding 102-83 win over the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Fever set a franchise record with 64 first-half points, fueled by a dominant 36-15 second quarter. Indiana never trailed again, cruising to victory in one of their most complete performances of the season.
Clark, the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, delivered a well-rounded performance with 14 points, 13 assists, and 5 steals, notching her 17th career 10-assist game — and her first with two or fewer turnovers. Though still regaining form after injury, Clark’s playmaking and defensive effort stood out.
“I still probably didn’t shoot it as good as I would have liked, but I feel like it’s coming,” Clark said. “My playmaking was really good. We were just very balanced, and people executed.”
One of the night’s highlights was Clark’s three-quarter-court assist to Sophie Cunningham after a crowd-pleasing block on JJ Quinerly.
On the other side, 2025 projected No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, extending her streak of double-digit scoring games to 17. She added 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals — but also had 4 turnovers.
The Fever’s 25-4 second-quarter run was their best quarter-point differential since 2016, and their 64 first-half points marked the highest by any team in the WNBA this season.
Indiana shot 52% from the field, scored 58 points in the paint, and forced 18 turnovers, converting them into 23 points. Five players scored in double figures, led by Kelsey Mitchell (20), Natasha Howard (18), and Aliyah Boston (17).
Fever coach Stephanie White credited the team’s defense and fast-paced ball movement:
“The ball was moving — we were playing close to .5 basketball in that second quarter,” White said.
The Fever (11-10) bounced back strong after scoring just 61 points in their previous game. They’ve now totaled 201 points in their last two matchups, showing clear offensive improvement.
Meanwhile, Dallas (6-16) welcomed back All-Star Arike Ogunbowale from a thumb injury, but she struggled mightily, going 0-for-10 from the field and scoring just 2 points — the worst shooting game of her career.
Despite the loss, Bueckers praised her teammate’s resilience:
“It might not have been her night shooting the ball, but she didn’t let it affect her effort. That was huge to see.”
